Introduction to Sync Licensing: What Every Music Producer Should Know
Introduction to Sync Licensing: What Every Music Producer Should Know
Many music producers are continually looking for ways to diversify their income, whether through selling beats, offering production services, streaming royalties- the list goes on. But did you know that music producers can earn income by placing their music in TV and film?
Welcome to the world of sync licensing - one of the fastest-growing sectors in the music industry today.
Navigating the sync space can feel daunting, and there are etiquette and '‘street smarts’ that every music creator should be aware of before diving in. This introductory blog post will guide you through the essentials of sync licensing, covering everything from foundations to advanced tips on how to thrive in this lucrative and rapidly growing space.
What is Sync Licensing?
Sync licensing (short for synchronisation licensing) involves licensing a piece of music to be used with different kinds of visual media, such as TV shows, commercials, films, movie trailers, video games and social media ads.
When a song is “licensed for sync”, the producer (and all of the song’s collaborators) gives permission for their song to be used (“synchronised”) in exchange for a fee, back-end royalties, or a combination of both.
Why Should Music Producers Get Into Sync?
Getting started in sync licensing can be a potentially career-advancing move because sync offers producers a new revenue stream, and global exposure, and can even open new doors to greater opportunities like collaborating with bigger artists or getting high-profile gigs.
What Kind of Music Works Best for Sync?
What sets songs that are great for sync apart from songs that are not, is their emotional quality. Songs that evoke emotions rather than narrating literal stories are preferred in sync because they are easier to adapt to the visuals.
This can be tricky for those who are new to sync to wrap their heads around, especially if they have an artist project. Instead of building a music video concept around your song, sync requires you to do the opposite and allow the visual to shine and be the main focus for the audience, with the song simply acting as background support and ambience to help move the visual story forward.
Some of the more commonly requested song themes in sync licensing are themes of empowerment, overcoming challenges, feeling good, freedom, friendship, and “I am great”. Music related to specific events like sports and holidays/Christmas are also requested every year.
A pro tip to develop your “sync ears” is to watch popular TV shows, commercials and trailers with the intention of understanding what music works and why. Ask yourself, how does this song match the movie scene or the product shown in this ad? What could I do differently?
And yes, we’re giving you a reason to watch more Netflix!
How to Find Sync Opportunities
Here are 9 great strategies you can use to connect with key players in sync licensing and start getting your music placed:
- Join a Pitching Service: Back in the day, TAXI Music was the go-to for connecting music creators to the right people, but these days it’s a bit oversaturated and less relevant. Using pitching platforms like That Pitch offers a much better return on your investment as they offer library distribution, 100% payments, and some of the best educational resources for their community.
- Submit your Songs to Music Libraries: Platforms like Musicbed, Epidemic Sound, and Artlist allow producers to upload their music directly to be used by YouTubers, filmmakers, and online marketers.
- Build Relationships with Music Supervisors: These are the people responsible for choosing the music for films, TV shows, commercials and more. Consider them the “gatekeepers” of sync licensing - as many go directly to their inner circle with sync briefs first before posting elsewhere. So, the higher the quality of personable relationships you can build with these professionals, the better your chances are of landing sync placements.
- Go to Networking Events: Attend sync conferences like Sync Summit where music supervisors and sync agents are most likely to be.
- Take part in Sync Competitions and Open Submissions: Platforms like Syncrr regularly post project briefs where you can submit your tracks.
- Collaborate with Independent Filmmakers and Content Creators: Video production houses, Video-focused startups, Film students, YouTubers, and Independent Directors are always looking for affordable music to use in their projects. While these may not pay a lot, they can be a great way to get started in the sync world and build your portfolio.
- Reach out to your Existing Network: If you’ve been active in other areas of the music industry such as through performing at live gigs or attending LSA’s monthly DJ nights, chances are you may be closer to finding sync opportunities than you realise. Let people in your network know that you’re looking for sync work.
- Expand your Knowledge of Sync Licensing: Sync educators like Anthony Clint Jr. and Joshua Williams put out a ton of free content helping new and seasoned producers get more sync placements, and they also often share sync opportunities with their audience.
There are also online courses like CTRL Camp that offer invaluable sync education and give you access to sync briefs shared only within their private community. - Optimise your Online Presence: Make sure that your social profiles and website include that you make music for sync. You may also consider uploading your music to DISCO for its popularity among sync agents and supervisors. There are a lot of great features to this platform but in short, DISCO allows you to easily share music, track and analyse listener activity, and organise your metadata and contact info correctly so that it’s clear to music supervisors who created that new song they love.
3 Common Reasons Why Producers Face Rejection in Sync
You may already be a fantastic producer in your specific genre, but even with great music on their hard drives, many producers still get rejected when pitching their music for sync opportunities. Get to know these three most common mistakes producers make so that you can avoid them and increase your chances of getting synced.
- Not Following the Brief
The most common reason why a song is rejected is because it doesn’t align with the brief provided by the sync agent or music supervisor.
Sync agents are seeking music that fits a highly specific theme, mood, or scene. Sending in a track that has no relevance to the brief, no matter how much of a banger it is, is a waste of everyone’s time.
As well, not following the brief guidelines suggests a lack of attention to detail and professionalism, which can limit your access to future briefs. - Using Leased Beats or Samples from Splice
Put bluntly, leased beats are a non-starter for sync licensing. The problem comes down to a conflict of ownership. When you buy a premade beat, you’re not the only one who owns it, and this is a huge problem because sync licensing deals require that you control 100% of the rights to the music, or that you have a written agreement with your collaborators that gives you permission to act on behalf of the group… (More on that in the next section.)
Even with an exclusive beat licence, issues can still come up as other artists may also have the rights to the beat before you purchase it.
The same is true of using samples from websites like Splice. Sync agencies and music supervisors often have a strict “do not submit” clause for songs that contain any samples from Splice. The reason for this is that a lot of sync reps don’t want to take the risk of having another producer come along later demanding a fee and claiming that their loop was ‘stolen’ or used without their permission.
The solution here is simple: Produce unique and original music! If you want to learn how to produce music that you can confidently pitch for sync opportunities, check out LSA’s private and group music production courses. - Having Unsuitable Vocals or a Low-Quality Mix
Vocals that don’t match the vibe or emotion of the visual media, are subpar or are poorly mixed, can make your work appear amateurish, regardless of how great the songwriting is.
When it comes to TV and film briefs specifically, your music must meet broadcast-quality standards. This doesn’t mean you need to record in a fancy studio or have all the expensive plugins, but it does require a high-quality mix and master. We cover professional mixdown and mastering techniques inside our Mixing & Mastering Course!
Agreements to Have Ready in Sync Licensing
Right, so let’s say you’ve got an amazing song ready to pitch. Now comes the paperwork. Arguably one of the most crucial components of sync is protecting your rights and maintaining clarity and fairness with your collaborators. Here are the main agreements every producer show knows about:
One Stop Agreement
A One Stop Agreement (or a One Stop Clause section of a full agreement) allows a sync agent or music supervisor to clear all the rights to a song on both the composition and the master side through a single point of contact - hence the name, “one-stop”. Having this in place simplifies the licensing process and makes your music more attractive to music libraries, agents and supervisors.
Split Sheets
A Split Sheet outlines the percentage of ownership each collaborator has in a song. This document is vital for avoiding disputes over royalties and ensuring everyone involved is fairly compensated.
Work For Hire Agreements
A Work For Hire Agreement is often used in a couple of cases; 1) When a producer is hired to create music for someone else, or 2) When a producer hires a musician or vocalist to perform on the song.
In both scenarios, the person that’s hired typically receives an up-front fee for their involvement and in exchange they release their rights to the music, allowing the hiring person to completely own the final work.
We understand that dealing with the legal side of things is not the most fun part of the creative process, but it doesn’t have to feel awkward. Acknowledge with your collaborators that you are trying to do what’s best for the success of the song and what will fairly provide for everyone. Remember, it’s not real until it’s in writing.
Final Thoughts
As Mark Eckert puts it, sync is the fastest-growing corner of the music industry and is filled with tremendous opportunities for music producers. By understanding the landscape, avoiding common pitfalls and continually honing your craft, you can build a thriving side hustle or full-blown career in sync licensing. Keep learning and keep creating!
We hope you got value out of this introductory blog post to the world of sync licensing. Please click here for more blogs and helpful advice for music producers.
If you would like to learn how to produce, improve your music production skills and get help with the music business enrol on our music producer program.
